Manual Chapter : Examining and Exporting Application Statistics

Applies To:

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BIG-IP AAM

  • 13.0.1, 13.0.0

BIG-IP APM

  • 13.0.1, 13.0.0

BIG-IP Link Controller

  • 13.0.1, 13.0.0

BIG-IP Analytics

  • 13.0.1, 13.0.0

BIG-IP LTM

  • 13.0.1, 13.0.0

BIG-IP AFM

  • 13.0.1, 13.0.0

BIG-IP PEM

  • 13.0.1, 13.0.0

BIG-IP DNS

  • 13.0.1, 13.0.0

BIG-IP ASM

  • 13.0.1, 13.0.0
Manual Chapter

Overview: Examining and exporting application statistics

This implementation describes how to view application statistics on the BIG-IP® system. It describes how you can examine the statistics in the Analytics charts when Application Visibility and Reporting (AVR) is provisioned. Analytics charts display statistical information about traffic on your system. The system updates the information every five minutes.

The Overview screen shows all of the HTTP statistics in one place, including averages for transactions per second (TPS), request and response throughput, server latency, page load time, concurrent sessions, and new sessions. You can filter, drill down, and view selected information by different metrics, such as by application, virtual server, URL, country, and so on.

The Analytics Custom screen provides a summary of the most frequent recent types of application traffic, such as the most accessed virtual servers, URLs, pool members, and so on. You can design the Analytics Custom screen so that it shows the specific types of data you are interested in.

You can schedule the reports to be sent to email addresses periodically. From any of the displayed reports, you can also export them to a PDF file, or send the report to one or more email addresses.

Note: The displayed Analytics statistics are rounded up to two digits.

Examining application statistics

Before you can look at the application statistics, you need to have created an HTTP Analytics profile so that the system is capturing the application statistics internally on the BIG-IP® system. You must associate the Analytics profile with one or more virtual servers (in the HTTP Analytics profile or in the virtual server). If you created an iApp application service, you can use the provided template to associate the virtual server.
You can review, filter, and compare HTTP statistics for traffic on the BIG-IP system. The HTTP Overview screen provides visibility into application behavior, user experience and client activity, transactions, data center resource usage, and more.
  1. On the Main tab, click Statistics > Analytics > HTTP .
    The Overview screen opens and displays current HTTP statistics averaged over the last hour. You can see charts on the left and a list of dimensions on the right.
  2. At the top of the screen, you can adjust the time frame and refresh details for the statistics.
    Option Description
    Time frame Specifies the time frame for which you want to display HTTP statistics (Last hour, Last day, Last week, and so on, or All to display all data).
    Auto-refresh interval Controls how often the statistics are refreshed on the screen (1 min., 5 min., 10min., or turns refresh Off.
    Refresh button Updates the statistics on the screen immediately.
    Timeline adjuster Shows the actual time frame for which statistics are currently displayed according to the time focus that is selected. On the graphic, drag the handles on either end to change the focus of the statistics.
    As you adjust the time settings, the statistics are updated on the screen.
  3. Initially, the data is unfiltered, and it displays all statistics it has for the time frame selected (Last hour, by default). To filter the data, select one or more dimensions in the right column.
    For example, you can filter by Applications, Virtual Servers, URLs, Countries, and so on. You can select more than one dimension, and one or more instances in a dimension. But note that some combinations are restricted. So if you select URLs, then the Client IP Addresses, Subnets, and Countries dimensions are not available.
    As you select dimensions or instances, the filtered statistics are displayed on the screen.
  4. To view the statistics in table form, expand the dimension, then drag the handle on the dimensions column to the left.
    Tip: To see the full column names, hover over the headings. To expand the table to the full width of the screen to see all of the columns, click the handle.
    Tables containing detailed statistics for the items in the dimensions are displayed.
  5. To compare two or more instances in a dimension, select the instances, click the options icon, and select Add Comparison Chart.
    The system displays a new chart at the top comparing the selected instances.
  6. You can clear all filter selections or those for a dimension.
    • To clear all selections, click the gear icon at the top of the column and select Clear All.
    • To clear selections for a dimension, click the options icon (three horizontal lines to the left of the title), and select Clear Selection.
You can continue to review the statistics on the system in the charts showing average transactions per second, request and response throughput, server latency, page load time, and concurrent and new sessions. As a result, you become more familiar with the system, applications, resource utilization, and more, and you can view the statistics in graphical charts and in tables, focusing on the specific data you need.
You can save the statistics in a file, and send the file to select users by email. You can also set up schedules to send specific reports to specific users (go to Analytics > Scheduled Reports ).

About the reporting interval for charts and reports

The system updates the statistics for charts and reports at five minute intervals: at five minutes after the hour, ten minutes after the hour, and so on. Each five-minute mark includes data from the previous five minutes; so 12:45 includes data starting from 12:40:01 to 12:45:00.

Charts and data that you export from charts reflect the publishing interval of five minutes. For example, if you request data for the time period 12:40-13:40, the data in the chart or in the file that you export is for that time period. But if there is a request for data from 12:42-13:42, the data in the chart is from 12:45-13:45. By default, the BIG-IP® system displays one hour of data.

HTTP Overview examples

This figure shows the HTTP Overview screen as it might look when first displayed. It has several charts on the left, and the dimensions are listed on the right. The dimensions act as filters of the data displayed in the charts. You can expand the dimensions to see, for example, a list of the applications on the system.

HTTP Overview screen

You can display more data by pulling the handle on the dimensions column to the left.

Pull handle to display data

You can expand the table to the full column width by clicking the handle. There are many columns of data. Hover over the column headings to see the full names. When viewing the table format of the data, it is best to maximize the browser window to see all the columns.

HTTP data in tabular form

Lots of data is available on the HTTP Overview. The best way to learn about it is to view the charts on the initial view. If you see a spike or something that you want to investigate, select one or more dimensions and view the statistics in table form. You can change the time frame, or select specific entities to narrow down the scope of the data to determine what caused the change.

Saving or emailing report files

To send reports by email, the default analytics profile must specify an SMTP configuration ( Local Traffic > Profiles > Analytics ).
You can export or email any of the Analytics charts including those which display statistics for HTTP, TCP, memory, disk, virtual servers, and other charts available on your system.
  1. On the main tab, click Statistics > Analytics and select the type of chart to display.
  2. Adjust the chart so that it shows the information you want, adjusting the content as needed.
  3. On the upper right of the charts screen, click Export.
    Tip: To send the report to others by email, go to Statistics > Analytics > Scheduled Reports .
  4. Click Export.

Customizing your statistics view

Before you can view HTTP application statistics, you need to have created an Analytics profile so that the system is capturing the application statistics internally on the BIG-IP® system. You must associate the Analytics profile with one or more virtual servers (in the Analytics profile or in the virtual server). If you created an iApp application service, you can use the provided template to associate the virtual server.
You can customize how you view statistics by displaying the information you want, organized as you want to see it into data-specific widgets. A set of default widgets is provided showing HTTP statistics for the top URLs, pool members, virtual servers, client subnets, and countries. You can create additional widgets or reorganize what's there.
  1. On the Main tab, click Statistics > Analytics > HTTP > Custom Page .
    The Custom Page opens showing current HTTP statistics. By default, there are five widgets organized in two columns.
  2. To view statistics for a particular device group, from the Device Group list, select the one you want.
  3. To adjust the time range for all widgets, from Override time range to, select a new time frame for which to view statistics.
    If you select (per widget), you can specify different time ranges for each widget.
  4. For each widget you want to change, click the gear icon and select Settings.
    The Modify Widget Properties popup opens where you can change what the widget shows and the format used.
  5. To change the order of the widgets, drag them up or down within the column.
  6. To delete a widget if you do not need that information, click the gear icon and select Delete.
  7. To focus in on the specific details you want more information about in any widget, click an item in the chart.
    The system refreshes the charts and displays information about the item. Click Back to return to the Custom Page.
  8. To create a new widget in either column, click Add Widget at the bottom of the column.
    1. Fill in the Add New Widget popup screen to define the widget.
    2. From the Available Measurements, select the measurement to use.
    3. If there is a choice, select the data visualization.
    4. Click Done.
    The new widget displays in the column.
  9. Click Export to create a report of this information.
    Note: The timestamp on the report reflects a publishing interval of five minutes; therefore, a time period request of 12:40-13:40 actually displays data between 12:35-13:35. By default, the BIG-IP system displays one hour of data.
You can continue to adjust the Custom Page so that it displays the information you want in the order you want it.